October 12, 2003
Kill Broadcast TV
Thomas Hazlett advocates taking spectrum away from traditional analog broadcast television.
According to the most recent figures from the National Cable Telecommunications Association, there are nearly 107 million U.S. TV households, of which about 94 million subscribe to cable or satellite. This leaves about 13 million households which would choose to: a) begin subscribing to cable; b) begin subscribing to satellite; c) buy a digital converter box; or d) use the TV set as a DVD display monitor.
Hazlett advocates giving some of the spectrum to digital TV. Instead, what I would propose is that the spectrum be freed for whatever purpose the owners like, and allow a free market in re-selling spectrum. My guess is that a lot of spectrum would end up being used for wireless communication, including a wireless last mile for the Internet. Maybe hardly any of it would be used for television, either digital or analog. That would be fine.
Posted by Arnold at 7:25 PM |
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telecom, FCC
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